Born Together, Die Together
by IVolunteerAsDauntless
Summary: In the arena of the 75th Hunger Games, Cashmere reflects on victorhood with her brother, and how it didn't go as planned. Credit to MangoSmoothie6 (who is a duck) for the idea.


**A/N: [*uploads side by side with Mango*]**

**Like most of my one shots, this idea came from MangoSmoothie6. **_**Please **_**go check out her stories, they're awesome (****unlike mine)****! Also sadness warning, it's [expletive removed because why the [expletive removed] can't I stop [**_**expletive removed**_**] cursing seriously what the [expletive [expletive removed] removed]] sad. [o look, the nightly sarcasm has kicked in.] Anyways, read on!**

* * *

"Hey," I said, turning my head to look at my brother.

"Hey," he replied, turning his.

It was the first night in the arena of the 75th Hunger Games, and Gloss and I were keeping watch. We lay on the ground, staring at the artificial sky. It probably wasn't the best way to check for enemies, but we both knew we weren't leaving this place of nightmares alive. Might as well make the best of it.

We stared into each other's eyes, so many unspoken words passing through them. Conversations, memories.

* * *

_"I volunteer!" he yelled. I rolled my eyes. He just _had_ to volunteer the year before I was planning to._

_I watched his Games, watched him kill, watched him become a shell of his old self before my eyes, without even realizing it. That supposed "Career mindset" was just brainwashing. But I was seventeen. I didn't know. Neither did he, until he came home._

_He smiled for the cameras, and cried in his room. He disappeared randomly to the Capitol at times. I tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't let me. That year was the year we were most divided, and it hurt._

_"I volunteer!" I piped at the next reaping, completely disregarding my brother's discouragement. _He wants the victory all to himself,_ I thought. _I can't let him have that.

_I looked into his eyes from the stage, mistaking the pain for selfishness. I looked into his eyes in the Justice Building, passing the genuine tears off as fake ones. _

_When I came home, I felt his pain. I knew his secrets. I, too, smiled for the cameras, and cried in my room. I, too, started disappearing off to the Capitol at random moments, abused by the people who supposedly loved and cared about me. When we were both home, which was rare, we comforted each other, wiped each other's tears. We lived like that for a few years, smiling in public, crying in private._

_Then came the Quell. We heard the announcements. We wept into each other's shoulders. We cried ourselves to sleep, knowing we both would be reaped. We always knew that the system was rigged. _

_We heard the escort call my name, then his. _

_We put on fake smiles for the cameras. We shed real tears in our rooms. _

_The night before we entered the arena, we made a pact that we both already knew. _We were born together, we will die together._ We cried silent tears as we slept._

* * *

I heard a loud sound, snapping me out of my memories. My head flying up, I looked around, but the noise had come from far away. We were safe enough, for now at least.

I looked around again, this time not for enemy tributes but for our allies, making sure they were still asleep. Thankfully, they were. I stared into my brother's eyes again, and hugged him with extreme force, never wanting to let go of him. I only wanted to stay with my brother, in peace, forever. Was that too much to ask?

Apparently so. Because the next day, we ambushed the newest victors, Finnick, Johanna, and Nuts and Volts. We underestimated them. You never underestimate victors.

Gloss killed Nuts, and I could tell it hurt him to do so. Our Career mindsets were broken. Gloss had never liked killing to begin with. I watched him as he did what he hated.

So I watched as the Twelve girl murdered him.

_I knew it would happen, I expected it to happen,_ I tried to tell myself, but it didn't work. I ran at Twelve, fueled by rage and rage only, my brain ruling out all common sense. So of course, Johanna ran her axe into my chest. That's what I got for not thinking before I acted.

But the physical pain was nothing. A battle raged around me, but all I could think was that my brother was dying, and I was dying with him.

_We were born together, we will die together._

Finally, I would get to be in peace with my brother. Forever.

* * *

**A/N: I apologize. That was sad. Sorry. But favorite and review please! Or at least review, I want to know how I did._ (_****_The obvious answer is bad idc what you say Mango)_ ****Thanks for reading!**


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